Each cylinder of an engine, for example a diesel engine, is equipped with one or more valves (e.g., intake and exhaust valves) that are cyclically opened during normal operation. The valves may be opened by way of an actuator assembly that includes a driving member, such as a camshaft, and a rocker arm. The camshaft includes one or more lobes arranged at particular angles corresponding to desired lift timings and amounts of the associated valves. The lobes are connected to stem ends of the associated valves by way of the rocker arm and associated linkage components. As the camshaft rotates, a lobe comes into contact with a first end of the rocker arm causing the rocker arm to pivot, thereby forcing a second end of the rocker arm against the stem end of a valve (via the linkage). This pivoting motion causes the valve to lift or open against a spring bias. As the lobe rotates away from the rocker arm, the valve is released and allowed to return to a closed position.
When a cylinder is equipped with more than one of the same type of valve (e.g., more than one intake valve and/or more than one exhaust valve), valves of the same type may be typically opened at about the same time. To reduce the number of camshafts, lobes, and/or rocker arms required to open multiple valves, a valve bridge, or the like, may be used to interconnect a plurality of valves with a common rocker arm.
For example, an exemplary valve bridge may be generally T-shaped, having arms that extend between the stem ends of two valves. The second end of the rocker arm may engage a portion of the valve bridge, between the bridge arms. With this configuration, the force imparted to the bridge by the pivoted rocker arm results in lifting of the paired valves off of their respective valve seats. A lash adjuster may be associated with the valve bridge and used to remove clearance that may exists between the valves and corresponding seats (and/or between other valve train components) during rocker arm cycle.
Publication WO2016/086067 (“McCarthy et al.”) published Jun. 2, 2016, describes an internal combustion engine that has a valvetrain that includes a rocker arm assembly on which is mounted an electronic device and at least part of a generator. A hydraulic lash adjuster is disclosed in McCarthy et al. to provide lash adjustment via relative movement of an inner sleeve and a middle sleeve. While beneficial, the disclosure does not address a replaceable hydraulic lash adjuster that can be slidably installed/removed from inside a compartment of a rocker arm by sliding the hydraulic lash adjuster in or out of the compartment in the rocker arm. As used herein, the terms “slidably” and “slidingly” each mean “able to be moved by sliding.”